Bouncy, Trouncy, Flouncy, Pouncy-MAY PTR-*5/9 - FRUSTRATIONS & 6 days left*

[KatMark]

I saw your pre-trip report link in dizneeat's dining review. I'm only through page one and already thoroughly engrossed and must go back and read more. Your triplets are beautiful kidss.

 

[All7OfUs]

As of tomorrow our Disney trip is just 5 (FIVE ... count'em ... 1-2-3-4-5) weeks away

It seems like the "right time" to start pulling back the curtain on this trip to let you all see what each day might hold (if you followed this thread a bit earlier, you may remember that our plans can change on a whim - but that doesn't mean there aren't SOME concretes!).

A few non-negotiables are just fine!!

SO where does it all begin ... Friday, May 14th ... the kids will be in school, Daddy will be at work (I'm a human resource professional for a local behavioral health organization ... today I interviewed for a new position in the company as a Director of Professional Development and Community Outreach ).

Good luck!!!

I'll be leaving work by noon that Friday ... going home to "buckle down" the house ... then picking the kids up at school at 3:30pm with plans to be ON THE ROAD immediately.

Immediately is a great plan. It will give you time to use the hotel pool!!

We'll be traveling about 2 1/2 hours from Lebanon, PA to the Dulles Airport where we have an overnight (with shuttle service and parking for the week) at the Hilton Place.

That's my outbound airport too!! Hope it works out to be convenient, easy and ontime!

QUESTION: How do your kids do with the travel thing? My kiddos have always been decent but occasionally Ethan will get some pretty fast-moving bouts of car sickness ... anybody have any tried and true solutions to avoid this?

We don't have a problem at all with this- sorry no input here...

Our flight on Saturday morning leaves at a wonderfully early 6:37am (you'll find my love for the morning hours comes into play a lot during this trip ) ... this departure time should get us to the POFQ by 10:30am.

EArly AM flights: Gives you the whole day!

Sooooo ... we're in Disney World ... we've jumped on the beds ... and MAYBE we've even shared an order of Beignets already ... what might be next???

wahat could be better than beignets and bed jumping?

And make plans to grab lunch at:

Always my first choice at DTD, but going with WGPE this time as I've not tried it yet.

My kids are hyped up for ... of all things .. their PB & J

After we've gorged and felt that initial tug of Disney infusion ... we'll probably head back to the resort where Daddy will grab some poolside time getting intimate with beer & beignets while the kiddos swim!

Time for Papa to get to relax in!

As the days rolls on my parents should arrive (btw - my brother and his family are on the same flight as us ... but we tend to stay fairly autonomous ... they might join us at Downtown Disney - they might not). We have 5:30pm ADR's at the Cape May Buffet (if you read about Ethan you'd understand that this night represents the climax of the trip for him )

Ethan my friend, I"m sure there's going to be heaps of fun beyond this! But do enjoy those clams, Buddy!

We'll head back to POFQ at night ... I'd imagine my brother and I ... or heck, even just me alone ... will end up in the hot tub - or just hanging in the lounge to soak in the reality ... I'm in DISNEY and life ... is ... good!!

Does POR have one?? I sure hope so!!!

 

[kaos928]

As of tomorrow our Disney trip is just 5 (FIVE ... count'em ... 1-2-3-4-5) weeks away

today I interviewed for a new position in the company as a Director of Professional Development and Community Outreach ).

Oh, good luck with that!

QUESTION: How do your kids do with the travel thing? My kiddos have always been decent but occasionally Ethan will get some pretty fast-moving bouts of car sickness ... anybody have any tried and true solutions to avoid this?

Well when I was a kid Dramamine always worked great!

Thanks for reading yet another post ... I've started doing some online writing for the Examiner that's "Disney related" in content. I'd love it if you'd read the articles, comment if inclined, and subscribe for future content??

Will do just as soon as I get a chance. Can't wait to read!

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

I saw your pre-trip report link in dizneeat's dining review. I'm only through page one and already thoroughly engrossed and must go back and read more. Your triplets are beautiful kidss.

Thank You so much and welcome ... I hope my report makes you smile!! I DEEPLY appreciate the compliment about my children!!

Good luck!!!

Immediately is a great plan. It will give you time to use the hotel pool!!

That's my outbound airport too!! Hope it works out to be convenient, easy and ontime!

EArly AM flights: Gives you the whole day!

Always my first choice at DTD, but going with WGPE this time as I've not tried it yet.
Does POR have one?? I sure hope so!!!

Thanks for the "well-wishes" related to the job!!

I agree with the "hotel pool" plan - honestly, this is when it starts to feel like "VACATION" to me!!
As for Dulles ... we flew out of their last time and I sincerely think it's one of the BEST airports I've encountered. I LOVE flying out early and ending up with what feels like a "whole extra day".

We did WGPE last time on day 1 ... if not for the kiddos desires for PB&J at Earl ... I'd be right back there ... I LOVED it!!

Awesome little secluded hot tub at POFQ

Oh, good luck with that!

Well when I was a kid Dramamine always worked great!

Will do just as soon as I get a chance. Can't wait to read!

I SOO appreciate the "good luck" wishes. The first interview went well - I find out this week if I was selected to move to the next level of interviews.

I'll keep the dramamine in mind and plan to get some to take along - thanks!

I've added a link in my signature direct to my profile page for the Examiner - I'd appreciate any feedback you might have!!

 

[eandesmom]

As of tomorrow our Disney trip is just 5 (FIVE ... count'em ... 1-2-3-4-5) weeks away

It seems like the "right time" to start pulling back the curtain on this trip to let you all see what each day might hold (if you followed this thread a bit earlier, you may remember that our plans can change on a whim - but that doesn't mean there aren't SOME concretes!).

SO where does it all begin ... Friday, May 14th ... the kids will be in school, Daddy will be at work (I'm a human resource professional for a local behavioral health organization ... today I interviewed for a new position in the company as a Director of Professional Development and Community Outreach ).

I'll be leaving work by noon that Friday ... going home to "buckle down" the house ... then picking the kids up at school at 3:30pm with plans to be ON THE ROAD immediately.

We'll be traveling about 2 1/2 hours from Lebanon, PA to the Dulles Airport where we have an overnight (with shuttle service and parking for the week) at the Hilton Place.

QUESTION: How do your kids do with the travel thing? My kiddos have always been decent but occasionally Ethan will get some pretty fast-moving bouts of car sickness ... anybody have any tried and true solutions to avoid this?

Our flight on Saturday morning leaves at a wonderfully early 6:37am (you'll find my love for the morning hours comes into play a lot during this trip ) ... this departure time should get us to the POFQ by 10:30am.

Sooooo ... we're in Disney World ... we've jumped on the beds ... and MAYBE we've even shared an order of Beignets already ... what might be next???

We'll make a beeline for the:

And make plans to grab lunch at:

My kids are hyped up for ... of all things .. their PB & J

After we've gorged and felt that initial tug of Disney infusion ... we'll probably head back to the resort where Daddy will grab some poolside time getting intimate with beer & beignets while the kiddos swim!

As the days rolls on my parents should arrive (btw - my brother and his family are on the same flight as us ... but we tend to stay fairly autonomous ... they might join us at Downtown Disney - they might not). We have 5:30pm ADR's at the Cape May Buffet (if you read about Ethan you'd understand that this night represents the climax of the trip for him )

We'll head back to POFQ at night ... I'd imagine my brother and I ... or heck, even just me alone ... will end up in the hot tub - or just hanging in the lounge to soak in the reality ... I'm in DISNEY and life ... is ... good!!

Thanks for reading yet another post ... I've started doing some online writing for the Examiner that's "Disney related" in content. I'd love it if you'd read the articles, comment if inclined, and subscribe for future content??

Sounds like a great day (well 2 actually, right?) except for the beer and beignets.

Don't get me wrong.

I love beer

qualified to say... not ALL beer...I AM from the PNW so am officially a beer snob ) Disney is not known for its great beer offerings but decent items can be found...if one is diligent.

I love beignets.

But

TOGETHER?


On the car travel....our kids have all seemed to outgrow it but at varying ages.

Putting the one most prone to it NOT in the back of the car, a cracked open window, avoiding reading or electronics in the car or eating too much before getting in the car helps.

of course if you are on windy hilly roads...all bets are off.

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

Sounds like a great day (well 2 actually, right?) except for the beer and beignets.

Don't get me wrong.

I love beer

qualified to say... not ALL beer...I AM from the PNW so am officially a beer snob ) Disney is not known for its great beer offerings but decent items can be found...if one is diligent.

I love beignets.

But

TOGETHER?


On the car travel....our kids have all seemed to outgrow it but at varying ages.

Putting the one most prone to it NOT in the back of the car, a cracked open window, avoiding reading or electronics in the car or eating too much before getting in the car helps.

of course if you are on windy hilly roads...all bets are off.

Truth be told ... though a lot of PA folk worship at the Yuengling throne ... I tend to be a bit of a beer snob myself. My fave? Victory Brewing Company "Hop Wallop" ... nothing beats a good IPA!!

I'll have to let you know if the sweetness of the Beignets mixes well with the barley and hops (My "truth-be-told" guess is that it will be as you said).

I appreciate your car recommendations - and as you say it, I realize my MOST prone has traditionally been in the back of the car ... so I think we'll switch things up a bit.

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

As we sat down to eat at a local "Chili's" yesterday (btw, the Smoked Chicken tacos ... YUM), the kiddos began asking Disney questions (and who am I to EVER deny a Disney question?) ... here's how it went:

"Daddy, what ride are we going on as soon as we get there?"

"Daddy, when do I get my clams?"

"Daddy, can we go on test track ... a LOT?"

(and one that surprised me ... who knew)
"Daddy, our second favorite ride (notice the "our", so they've talked about this outside my knowledge and conspirited to break this to me?? ) is the Haunted Mansion - when can we go on THAT?"

Soooo ... I decided we would walk through every single day of the trip ... and we did ... many beverages were consumed and a LOT of laughter and excitement ensued.

When the dust settled we had ... at least in some respects ... more of a plan than I've ever taken to WDW with me.

I told the kiddos I'd share this with Dis and they said they'd look forward to the replies (I asked, "what if people have ideas for other things we should do? ... the kiddos said they'd think about it )

Day 1 is remaining as I previously shared - the only change is that my kiddos now want time to shop for Vinylmation characters (which they saw online).

So on to Day 2 for the remainder of this thread:

Oh ... quick aside ... here are the kiddos and I from Easter

Rope Drop ... at ... (OF COURSE) Epcot (Ethan is VERY into the Flower & Garden Festival and this is officially the last day) ... beeline to Test Track and (if my brother's family has joined us) fastpass to 'Soarin' (I'll do the run down to the fastpass machines while the kiddos go with my brother and his family to line-up at TT)

• Breakfast at the Land
• A ride on "Listen to the Land"
• Hopefully "Soarin" if FP worked out
• Go see Ellen (my kiddos love the ride ... ugh)
• Spaceship Earth (dependent upon time)

We have a 1pm rez at the Biergarten ... so we'll get our food-groove on ... then head back to the resort. Ahhhh ... pool & relax until ...

Night time EMH at DHS. We probably won't head over till around 6pm or later ... we don't have any aggressive goals for the evening; Gavin has announced he wants to ride TOT for the first time and the others want to use the EMH to get on 'Toy Story Mania' (which opened a month after our last trip). We aren't planning on Fantasmic ... but it might happen.

Thus ends Day 2 of the trip ... at least as the kids see it

 

[addictedtothemouse]

I'm here! I've been reading along, just unable to post.

Ethan, you sound like a very caring and sesitive person. It's a very special gift to be able to connect with other people's emotions and care for them.

As for the car sickness, front seat is best. My mom said when she was little my grandpa gave her a doll and told her she had to take care of her baby. She thinks that occupied her mind and she didn't get carsick again.

Beer and beignets? Well to each his own.

My youngest DD loved the pb&j at EoS. But we all like grilled pb&j sandwiches anyway.

Days 1 and 2 sound good to me. My trip in Oct. I'm going to try to be more "go with the flow" we'll see how it works.

I also wanted to extend my well wishes for your job. (Extra pixie dust never hurts, right?)

 

[kaos928]

"Daddy, our second favorite ride (notice the "our", so they've talked about this outside my knowledge and conspirited to break this to me?? ) is the Haunted Mansion - when can we go on THAT?"

Awww that is just adorable!

Soooo ... I decided we would walk through every single day of the trip ... and we did ... many beverages were consumed and a LOT of laughter and excitement ensued.

That sounds like a blast!

Rope Drop ... at ... (OF COURSE) Epcot (Ethan is VERY into the Flower & Garden Festival and this is officially the last day) ... beeline to Test Track and (if my brother's family has joined us) fastpass to 'Soarin' (I'll do the run down to the fastpass machines while the kiddos go with my brother and his family to line-up at TT)

Gah I'm so mad DF & I are missing the F&GF by one day! Who ever thought it would be a good idea to move it up so far! Ok, vent over...

We have a 1pm rez at the Biergarten ...

Guess what?! While you guys are at Biergarten, I'll be getting married!

I'm excited to see if we will be in the same park at some time!

 

[ksl5f123]

Sounds like you have a great Epcot/DHS day planned!! I just added a Biergarten ADR to our plan tonight (luckily it is an easy one to get). The kids look very nice in their Easter outfits!

 

[All7OfUs]

Mmmm... biergarten! Can't wait for that one!

I love how the kids are taking so much ownership in the trip. YOu know if they're talking about it, they are excited!

Make sure to do your research on the F&G. When we were there in 2008, there was far, far more to do than we had time. It was hard to pick and choose wisely. THey have TONS of activities for the kids, and some of them were a little hard to find.

If your brother doesn't show up, I'd suggest you get your FiPs for Soarin' first then go to TT. Since you need to be at Bier by 1:00, they may be later return times than that if you wait until after TT.

 

[eandesmom]

Truth be told ... though a lot of PA folk worship at the Yuengling throne ... I tend to be a bit of a beer snob myself. My fave? Victory Brewing Company "Hop Wallop" ... nothing beats a good IPA!!

I'll have to let you know if the sweetness of the Beignets mixes well with the barley and hops (My "truth-be-told" guess is that it will be as you said).

I appreciate your car recommendations - and as you say it, I realize my MOST prone has traditionally been in the back of the car ... so I think we'll switch things up a bit.

AHA! An kindred spirit.

Otherwise known as...

a Hop Head.



Which I can't say I've ever found in Disney (a decent IPA that is) but the African Amber at Y&YLF and then a good old PNW Red Hook ESB at the WL aren't too bad.

I've not heard of the IPA of which you speak. Is it a PA brew? We are big on a lot of the NW IPA's but they don't tend to make it out of the state. Or at least past Oregon

fabulous easter pic, digging those Argyle vests on the boys in a big way. I love how involved they are, it makes a big difference. Our kids are all very involved in the ADR planning, a bit less so on the touring though they all have their "must do" lists.

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

I'm here! I've been reading along, just unable to post.

Ethan, you sound like a very caring and sesitive person. It's a very special gift to be able to connect with other people's emotions and care for them.

As for the car sickness, front seat is best. My mom said when she was little my grandpa gave her a doll and told her she had to take care of her baby. She thinks that occupied her mind and she didn't get carsick again.

Beer and beignets? Well to each his own.

My youngest DD loved the pb&j at EoS. But we all like grilled pb&j sandwiches anyway.

Days 1 and 2 sound good to me. My trip in Oct. I'm going to try to be more "go with the flow" we'll see how it works.

I also wanted to extend my well wishes for your job. (Extra pixie dust never hurts, right?)

I really appreciate the comments about Ethan - the kiddos will be with me again tomorrow evening - I know he'll smile when he reads that (thank you!)

It's great to know you've been reading along - hope it's brought some smiles along the way
I like the thought of a "distraction" for the trip ... although it may be tough to find something to throw off a boy
Having a "plan" going in is sort of foreign for me ... but at the same time I know it really is making the kids internalize the excitement of the whole trip ... so I'm loving it
Thank You for the job wishes - I found out through email this morning that I'm invited to the final round of interviews this week

Awww that is just adorable!

That sounds like a blast!

Gah I'm so mad DF & I are missing the F&GF by one day! Who ever thought it would be a good idea to move it up so far! Ok, vent over...

Guess what?! While you guys are at Biergarten, I'll be getting married!

I'm excited to see if we will be in the same park at some time!

Definitely let me know if it looks like any of our plans will have us overlapping in the parks!! It's SOOOO exciting to think about you sharing your vows - how awesome!!
Sorry the F&GF doesn't coincide for your trip ... I'm not sure if they leave up most of the topiaries or if it all comes down right away??

Sounds like you have a great Epcot/DHS day planned!! I just added a Biergarten ADR to our plan tonight (luckily it is an easy one to get). The kids look very nice in their Easter outfits!

Thanks for the compliment ... the kiddos made it the FASTEST outfit shopping trip ever ... they saw those items and just immediately knew it's what they wanted. They're all the type of kiddos who like to "look nice" (as Maddie puts it).

Mmmm... biergarten! Can't wait for that one!

I love how the kids are taking so much ownership in the trip. YOu know if they're talking about it, they are excited!

Make sure to do your research on the F&G. When we were there in 2008, there was far, far more to do than we had time. It was hard to pick and choose wisely. THey have TONS of activities for the kids, and some of them were a little hard to find.

If your brother doesn't show up, I'd suggest you get your FiPs for Soarin' first then go to TT. Since you need to be at Bier by 1:00, they may be later return times than that if you wait until after TT.

Thanks for the tips Liesa ... I'm gonna continue to involving the kids by pulling up some info on the F&GF and letting them decide on a few things they'd like to do.

As far as the FP's ... I definitely agree - it would be awesome to get on both TT & Soarin' before we go to Bier!

AHA! An kindred spirit.

Otherwise known as...

a Hop Head.



Which I can't say I've ever found in Disney (a decent IPA that is) but the African Amber at Y&YLF and then a good old PNW Red Hook ESB at the WL aren't too bad.

I've not heard of the IPA of which you speak. Is it a PA brew? We are big on a lot of the NW IPA's but they don't tend to make it out of the state. Or at least past Oregon

fabulous easter pic, digging those Argyle vests on the boys in a big way. I love how involved they are, it makes a big difference. Our kids are all very involved in the ADR planning, a bit less so on the touring though they all have their "must do" lists.

Ahhhh ... A "hop head" indeed!! I want to make it my goal to find a decent IPA at Disney (I thought I remembered something to my liking at Big River Grille??). Much like your experience, the REALLY GOOD IPA's (like the one I referenced) tend to be local ... Victory is a brewing company in Downingtown, PA but it's gaining a broader and broader following.

Thanks for the Easter pic compliment!

 

[kaos928]

Thank You for the job wishes - I found out through email this morning that I'm invited to the final round of interviews this week

Woo-hoo! Good luck!

Definitely let me know if it looks like any of our plans will have us overlapping in the parks!! It's SOOOO exciting to think about you sharing your vows - how awesome!!
Sorry the F&GF doesn't coincide for your trip ... I'm not sure if they leave up most of the topiaries or if it all comes down right away??

Aww, thank you Yes I'm really hoping they don't tear everything down the next day. It seems silly. We won't be making it to EPCOT until the 19th.

 

[Pollito916]

Nice easter pic - the boys looks so grown up!

As for carsickness, I second all the tips on riding in the front seat, no reading, electronics etc. Tell the "sick" one to look out the front window, not the side windows.

I also have to second the on beignets with beer. Separate, ok, together

Good luck with the job!

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

Woo-hoo! Good luck!

Aww, thank you Yes I'm really hoping they don't tear everything down the next day. It seems silly. We won't be making it to EPCOT until the 19th.

I am going to believe wholeheartedly that you will experience ALL of the awesome F&GF wonder ... YES!!

Nice easter pic - the boys looks so grown up!

As for carsickness, I second all the tips on riding in the front seat, no reading, electronics etc. Tell the "sick" one to look out the front window, not the side windows.

I also have to second the on beignets with beer. Separate, ok, together

Good luck with the job!

OK - after hearing the "weigh ins" from soooo many of my Dis friends - I am officially foregoing the plan of mixing beer & beignets ... thank you all for showing me the err of my ways!!

I looked at the Easter pic again ... yikes ... where did my "babies" go?

 

[eandesmom]

I
Thank You for the job wishes - I found out through email this morning that I'm invited to the final round of interviews this week

Ahhhh ... A "hop head" indeed!! I want to make it my goal to find a decent IPA at Disney (I thought I remembered something to my liking at Big River Grille??). Much like your experience, the REALLY GOOD IPA's (like the one I referenced) tend to be local ... Victory is a brewing company in Downingtown, PA but it's gaining a broader and broader following.

Thanks for the Easter pic compliment!

on the job.

If memory serves (and their line up may have changed) BRG didn't have an IPA but had a Red. Which is never our first choice as they are often too sweet but it was ok. And it's called Rocket Red so Jeff will try it just because the name is related to aviation



I haven't been there since '04 though. I do know there is an IPA made out of a microbrew in the Keys (I think) but haven't seen it in Disney proper...I did some digging last year trying to get something decent on our garden grocer delivery to save a few bucks and ended up getting....

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Which is a good fallback but it's just not the same!

 

[PrincessV]

Popping in quick to catch up...

About the F&G Fest - don't miss the Butterfly House! Very, very cool.

Best of luck on the new position - it sounds great! (Okay, as a PR person who came form HR, I'm a little biased, but it does soudn great!)

I'll definitely check out your articles on Examiner later! I've been asked to do something similar around here, since I live in Theme Park Mecca, but just can't seem to get motivated. Too much DISing, perhaps?

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

on the job.

If memory serves (and their line up may have changed) BRG didn't have an IPA but had a Red. Which is never our first choice as they are often too sweet but it was ok. And it's called Rocket Red so Jeff will try it just because the name is related to aviation



I haven't been there since '04 though. I do know there is an IPA made out of a microbrew in the Keys (I think) but haven't seen it in Disney proper...I did some digging last year trying to get something decent on our garden grocer delivery to save a few bucks and ended up getting....

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Which is a good fallback but it's just not the same!

I'm holding out hope for this selection at BRG:
Steamboat Pale Ale - "Golden color, medium-bodied, flavorful finish."

I'll look forward to giving you an accurate report ... if it's good - I bet my report can be VERY accurate

Popping in quick to catch up...

About the F&G Fest - don't miss the Butterfly House! Very, very cool.

Best of luck on the new position - it sounds great! (Okay, as a PR person who came form HR, I'm a little biased, but it does soudn great!)

I'll definitely check out your articles on Examiner later! I've been asked to do something similar around here, since I live in Theme Park Mecca, but just can't seem to get motivated. Too much DISing, perhaps?

I appreciate your feedback on the position. It is DEFINITELY an exciting opportunity.

I do remember the butterfly house from one trip - I'm hoping we get a chance to check that out.

I appreciate you reading my articles ... it continues to be a lot of fun to write them. Hope if you do get the opportunity you find it as satisfying!

 

[All7OfUs]

'sup?